XN000022-1990-07-17 — Page 2

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 1990

HK AND AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: NO DIFFERENCE IN AIMS

*

IN THE FUNDAMENTAL AIMS OF THE BRITISH AND THE HONG KONG THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH

THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE WHATEVER AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AND THOSE OF GOVERNMENTS, THE MINISTER OF STATE AT OFFICE, MR FRANCIS MAUDE, SAID IN HIS REPLY TO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL.

OF

BOTH

JOINT VIEWS THE

THE THE REPLY, WHICH REPRESENTED

WAS IN RESPONSE TO AMNESTY BRITISH AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS,

TO 22 SENT

MR MAUDE CONCERNING INTERNATIONAL'S LETTER DATED JUNE AMNESTY'S MEMORANDUM ISSUED IN JANUARY.

THE PRINCIPLE OF THAT NO VIETNAMESE

"WE HAVE A COMMON INTEREST IN ENSURING THAT FIRST ASYLUM IS PRESERVED, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, ARE RETURNED TO THEIR COUNTRY IF THERE IS ANY CHANCE THAT THEY WOULD 1967 IN ANY WAY BE PERSECUTED IN THE TERMS OF THE 1951 CONVENTION AND

MAUDE SAID IN THE PROTOCOL RELATING TO THE STATUS OF REFUGEES," MR REPLY LETTER DATED JULY 13.

WE MUST "BUT I HOPE THAT YOU WILL AGREE THAT AT THE SAME TIME

OPEN FOR THOSE WHO ENSURE THAT THE CHANNEL OF RESETTLEMENT REMAINS

NOT ABUSED ΤΟ THE EXTENT MIGHT BE SUBJECTED TO PERSECUTION AND IS

REFUGEE BTATUS 13 THAT THE FUTURE OF THOSE WITH A LEGITIMATE CLAIM TO PUT AT RISK.

I

THE BND.

HONG HAD DEVISED

MR MAUDE NOTED THAT TO THIS

UNHCR, WITH WORKING IN CO-OPERATION OPERABLE SYSTEM OF SCREENING.

KONG

GOVERNMENT,

A PRACTICAL

"CONTRARY TO THE ASSERTION IN THE MEMORANDUM, NEITHER UNHCR, ACCEPT THAT THE PROCESS IS 'CRITICALLY FLAWED'

HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT ACCEPT THAT ANY SERIOUS IN THE SCREENING SYSTEM.

AND

WB, NOR

MR MAUDE SAID.

RISKS EXISTED

THE

"INDEED I BELIEVE THAT TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN

TO WOULD INEVITABLY

THE PROCESS CAUSE AMNESTY MEMORANDUM IN FULL

KONG IN BECOME MUCH SLOWER, AND THUS MEAN FAMILIES LINGERING IN HONG UNCERTAINTY FOR FURTHER MONTHS, IF NOT YEARS, TO NO PURPOSE.

MR MAUDE ALSO SAID THE

INTRODUCE WORKED CLOSELY TO

AND WHERE APPROPRIATE,

UNHCR AND THE HONG IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SOMB RROENT EXAMPLES RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE AMNESTY MEMORANDUM.

+

ACCORDED

KONG GOVERNMENT SYSTEM SCREENING

WITH

AUTHORITIES HAD

GIVEN NEGATIVE. THE

ONE RECENT IMPROVEMENT WAS THAT THE HONG KONG AGREED WITH UNHCR THAT IN FUTURE A WRITTEN EXPLANATION WOULD BE FOR DECISIONS OF THE REVIEW BOARD, WHETHER POSITIVE OR FIRST OF THESE HAD NOW BEEN ISSUED.

ANOTHER IMPROVEMENT ...